


Alternate Circumstances

by Teriyaki_Poodle_on_Strudel



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25701388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teriyaki_Poodle_on_Strudel/pseuds/Teriyaki_Poodle_on_Strudel
Summary: *Spoilers*.  This is basically an AU where a hypothetical scenario occurs, if Zanza decided to not leave Shulk.  As a consequence, certain characters like Egil and Meyneth would not necessarily have had to sacrifice their lives, and Shulk would have more influence over Zanza's actions.  Also, the story is written is present-tense, since I prefer to write in that tense than in past-tense.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	1. Inside the Mechonis Core

"I don't know much about any curse," Shulk says, holding his left hand up to his head. Moving it back down to his side, he smiles lightly and then extends the same hand to the Machina the group defeated mere minutes ago. "For now, all I can do is this, Egil... We can live in peace again."

"Again?" Egil asks with brief hesitancy. He returns the smile, even more subtly than the other's before accepting the Hom's offer of peace. "I see. Yes, you're right."

A moment of quiet and stillness accompanies Egil's acceptance, as he sits up from the cockpit of his mechon to return the handshake that Shulk offered. Everyone knew that Egil has already forgotten his rage and quest for revenge -- one that manifested itself and grew over an unfathomably long period of time and one that dissipated in an instant. These people, Homs, High Entia, and Nopon are not his enemy, nor is he any longer theirs. People from all walks of life and people of different species. Surely Machina too can coexist alongside the people of Bionis once again.

Fiora feels a warmth blossom deep within her heart as she watches the scene unfold before her eyes, and at first she is not sure if it is her own joy or Meyneth's. Perhaps it is both, but she cannot stop a smile from spreading eagerly across her face. The fighting is finally over, and Meyneth's people can once again live happily, and the people of Bionis will not longer fear the looming threat of assault from the Mechon. Fiora, Shulk, Reyn, and Dunban can all finally return home, and the Machina to theirs. Maybe Fiora can even get her old body back, she hopes. She releases a pent-up sigh and closes her eyes and folds her hands together, fingers interlacing with one another. With one quieter sigh, she whispers to herself under her breath, "home." 

A sharp, piercing shot whistles through the air, and Fiora is startled, her eyes opening abruptly. If she still had her Hom's body, she knows her fingers would feel of pins and needles. It takes a second for her to process what has just happened, not even entirely understanding that an Ether rifle had just been shot. However, when she looks back up towards the top of the golden mechon, her artificial heart nearly stops. Shulk has been shot.

"No!" Dunban yells out, but Fiora barely hears it. Her own voice catches in her throat in panic, before she finally forces one word out of her mouth.

"SHULK!" Fiora screams, louder than she thinks she ever has. She watches helplessly as the boy places a hand over his chest, grasping the bullet wound and then pulls his hand back away. He looks down at it, and Fiora gasps as she watches a stream of fresh blood drip from it. Eyes wide in shock and disbelief, Shulk lets his gaze wander towards the teleporter. Fiora follows his lead, and in the corner of her eye, she sees the others do the same. Riki gasps as he gains sight of the perpetrator, who is still holding his ether rifle up incriminatingly. 

Dickson. He smirks condescendingly and carelessly with no heed to the others in the room other than Shulk himself. "You shouldn't have done that... Little brat!" 

"Shulk!" Fiora turns her eyes back to Shulk once more. Sure, she is surprised by Dickson's appearance and betrayal, but more than that, she is worried about her friend. Wounded and unable to sustain his weight any longer, Shulk breaths out in pain and collapses backwards off of the golden mechon. His body hits part of the midsection of the mechon before bouncing off. Fortunately, Egil controls the mechon's arm to catch him before he falls any further, preventing him from taking damage from the fall.

Carefully, Egil lowers the mechon's arm to the ground, with Shulk still resting in its hand, his eyes closed. All of the girls, Fiora included, run to the outstretched arm to assist Shulk onto the floor where Sharla can better treat him for his wound. Reyn and Dunban remain put, where they can confront Dickson in case he attempts anything else. Fiora can hear their argument as she and Sharla finish placing Shulk onto the floor.

"Dickson! Why!?" Dunban shouts, infuriated at the man he trusted as his friend. 

"Oi! Old man! Are you completely out of your mind!?" Reyn sounds just as enraged, not really knowing Dickson as well as Dunban but feeling equally betrayed that he just watched his best friend's father figure shoot his own son.

"Dah! Don't you kids ever shut up? I'm just doing my job, as always... Right?" Dickson's voice rings out pompously. Fiora can hear his footsteps gentle patter across the floor as he walks forward. Fiora is still focused on Shulk rests on the floor, unconscious and panting heavily. Sharla applies pressure to the bullet wound to stop the bleeding, but despite her effort, his blood still seeps out, forming a puddle on the ground.

Fiora furrows her brows, looking away from her wounded friend for a moment to confront the man who shot him. His adoptive father. Knowing there is more to Dickson than he let on in all of his years in Colony 9, she asks him one question. "Who are you?!"

Dickson does not have to answer, but instead, Egil does. "It's you!"

Fiora looks between the two in confusion, waiting for Egil to ellaborate. Dickson's smirk grows wider on his face and speaks, not allowing Egil to finish his thoughts. "Yes. Now you remember. It's been a long time, hasn't it Egil? Too long." Dickson shakes his head, shutting his eyes. Fiora has never heard Dickson speak in such a serious and solemn tone, and hearing him speak like that sends shivers down her spine. She clenches her fist in understanding. He is not who they had believed him to be. He is something much fouler, more sinister. But still, who is he?

"Zanza's... Disciple!" Egil finally finishes his thought, but Fiora does not get a chance to process the information before her brother speaks up in exasperation and confusion.

"Zanza's disciple? Egil, what do you mean?!" Dunban interrogates Egil but instead of waiting for a response from Egil, he instead turns back towards Dickson for an answer. "Dickson, what are you?!"

Dickson lifts his rifle over his shoulder. "I don't have to explain anything. As they say, seeing is believing!" He promptly slings his rifle down by his side again and lowers his head, glaring at Shulk.

As Dickson speaks, Fiora sees Shulk's eyes open, but instead of being relieved, she is horrified. His eyes are rolled back so far that she can only make out the whites of his eyes. A moment later, he begins convulsing, as though he is having a seizure. Sharla winces at the sight but keeps a firm pressure on Shulk's wound. Fiora can barely contain herself, wanting to do something -- to do anything -- but feeling completely and utterly defeated. The only one who can help him right now is Sharla, but she is already doing everything she can to stop the bleeding, and Fiora's knowledge of basic medicine tells her that there is nothing that they can or should do to stop the seizure.

"Now. Witness it with your own eyes. The moment of Lord Zanza's return!" Dickson says amidst the tension. In a flash of bright light, Shulk's body in lifted from the ground by an invisible force and suspended in space. Fiora reaches up to him, hysterical at this point. She has no idea what is going on, what is happening to him, but she voices out his name. She is on the verge of tears, although she is not sure if she can actually cry in her new body.

"Shulk?" 

"Get away from him!" Meyneth speaks through Fiora's body for a second, warning Fiora and the others. She immediately releases control back to Fiora.

"No!" Fiora protests, remaining by Shulk's side. The light surrounding Shulk grows brighter and brighter, before exploding into a force which sends Fiora flying backwards.

In the seconds that pass, Egil lifts the arm of Yaldabaoth in opposition, spawning an enormous ball of raw ether in its hand. "Zanza! I won't let you do this!" He launches the ball of energy towards Shulk.

Fiora gasps, fearing for Shulk's safety, but through the show of lights, she can see Shulk standing up on his own. At first she is relieved, but that relief turns into apprehension as the ball of ether closes in on Shulk. She diverts her gaze, not wanting to see her childhood friend turned to dust, but as she does, she glimpses him... Catching it?

The ball of ether halts in its tracks, and its shape begins to twist and dissipate in Shulk's hand, until there is nothing left at all. Still crouched over, he stands up straight, and the ball of energy manifests itself once more in his hand. Fiora gasps as Shulk returns the ball of energy back to the sender, and the orb of energy erupts around the golden mechon, paralyzing it in a field of electric ether.

"Brother!" Vanea's voice pierces through the explosion of energy as the golden mechon goes limp, no longer responding to Egil's input. 

Shulk remains still, standing unresponsive. Fiora lifts her hands to her chest and opens her mouth agape, wanting to call out to the boy, but her words are caught in her throat yet again. Lifting one hand outward towards him, she is overcome by a sudden urge to help him. Dashing forward, she grabs Shulk by the shoulder and forces him to turn around.

"Shulk? Are you..." Her voice trails off as her eyes meet his own. They are cold and vacant, missing that shimmer of eager curiosity and resolve that she is so used to seeing. He blinks in acknowlegement to her but does not reply to her words. "...okay?"

Shulk replies but not to Fiora, though he continues to stare directly into her eyes. His voice is the same, but the tone and inflection in his speech sound alien to Fiora. It is like when Meyneth speaks through her own body. "I've finally found you. Meyneth." 

Fiora feels Meyneth's consciousness stir in the back of her own, and it rises to the surface gently, asking Fiora for permission to control her body. Fiora relinquishes control to Meyneth and watches as her voice and body speak of their own accord. "Zanza. Please... Let us finish this fighting. There must be another way."

Although unable to speak, Fiora cannot help but mentally ask Meyneth what is happening. "Meyneth! What's wrong with Shulk?!"

Having a better grasp on the conversation, Meyneth voices Fiora's concerns. "Will you give the boy his body back?"

Shulk holds the Monado upright and observes it from the base to the glowing blade of blue ether. He scowls in an expression that Fiora has never seen from him before and replies to Meyneth. "No, Meyneth. This has all been predestined. I act according to the hands of fate. You know that this battle cannot end until you, the Mechonis, have been eliminated." A smile, wild and crazed, grows on his face. "And until this world have been destroyed and once again recreated!"

"Zanza! Please! Listen to me. These are innocent people that you are hurting. They are people with consciousness, with feelings, and with people they love and care for! Can you honestly condemn each and every one of them like this? We can live alongside them, in peace."

"Shulk! What's gotten into you?! Snap out of it, man!" Reyn runs up to Fiora's side, his face shadowed in doubt and worry.

"You are speaking to Lord Zanza, brat. Perhaps you better start by showing some respect." Dickson proclaims as he slams the butt of his rifle against Reyn's back. Reyn cries out in pain as he falls down onto his knees. For a brief moment, an emotion akin to sadness and fear flashes across Shulk's face before returning to its cold and forbidding demeanor. 

"Shulk?" Fiora regains control of her own body long enough to speak out. Meyneth puts up no resistance, though she takes control of Fiora's body again after she speaks.

"What's going on, Meyneth?!" Dunban voices out from behind, still farther back than Fiora, Reyn, and Dickson are.

Gazing downward, Meyneth responds. "Zanza grew tired from out battle, and then the High Entia ancestors trapped him. His flesh was sealed away on Prison Island. His soul, and hence the Monado, was confined to Ose Tower."

"In those ruins?" Dunban questions. Fiora cannot see the expression on Dunban's face, but she knows that he that he is baffled. "But what does this have to do with Shulk?"

"Did you forget? Who discovered those ruins?" Dickson interrupts, putting his cigar up to his mouth and inhaling. Exhaling, he continues. "Who happened to be there? Who was the survivor we found? And who brought back that survivor?"

"What are you saying? You planned all this when you found Shulk?!" Dunban's frustration rises in his voice, and Fiora knows that he is barely holding himself back at this point. Holding himself back from striking Dickson down right here and now.

Dickson keeps his back turned away from Dunban, not showing any fear towards the Homs man. "Jackpot! It was all for this day! In fact, there was never anyone called 'Shulk' to begin with." He grins while balancing his cigar between his teeth.

"What?!" Dunban spits out, and his anger begins to boil over the surface. It is only a matter of seconds before Dunban will lash out at this point. However, Shulk, no... Zanza speaks out and diffuses the tension momentarily.

"My soul existed inside the Monado." Zanza explains. "It was fated that I be released. It was shown to me in a vision. At last the time finally came, and then--" 

"The people who found the Monado an' freed it awoke Zanza. He sucked the lives from them..." Dickson removes the cigar from his mouth and holds it in his left hand. "...so he could live. Shulk was among them."

"Shulk was already dead?!" Reyn exclaims, still hunched over from being whacked by Dickson's rifle. "That's impossible! We grew up together!"

Zanza lifts his arms into the air, and in a flash of white light, an odd halo appears above Shulk's head and wings behind his back. The wings and halo are constructed of a bizarre pattern of circles, all connected in a holographic image, joined by curved lines between each circle. "You grew up with an empty shell. He appeared to live because I became his life force." Noticing the confusion on everyone's faces, he decides to elaborate further. "That is until he matured as my new vessel and become worthy of wielding the Monado, allowing me to truly awaken and finally return."

"Lord Zanza is the soul of the Bionis, but he still needs a living body." He holds up his cigar into the air and glances over at Fiora. "Just like Meyneth over there. Ha! Call that corpse a friend? Don't make me laugh." 

Meyneth looks back towards Fiora's brother, who is clenching his fist tightly. She watches as he pulls his blade from its sheath and charges Dickson.

"DICKSON!" Dunban shouts, wanting nothing more than to see the man he once considered his close friend sliced into two. Dickson stops the blade short, using his rifle as a shield. Dunban does not succeed in downing Dickson, but he is successful in wiping that smug look off his face. Dickson tosses his cigar to the floor into the pool of blood from where Shulk had been lying mere moments ago, and the cigar is extinguished.

"Oi! Fiora an' I will keep an eye on Shulk. The rest of you subdue Dickson!" Reyn stands on his feet, preparing himself in case of an attack. Fiora does not know if Zanza will use Shulk to attack them or not, but she and Meyneth prepare her dual blades just in case. If he does attack, she will do everything in her power to keep him from getting hurt, and she knows Reyn feels the same. If any of them can get to Shulk, it will be her and Reyn.

"A pathetic display." Zanza tilts his head down and holds the Monado stretched out towards Fiora. "You all will bow before me, and submit to your fate! You, Meyneth, will not be spared, but I may show mercy to the others. This world only needs one god, and a weak maggot like you will only get in my way!" Zanza lifts the Monado skyward and brings it down in a fell swoop.

"NO!" Meyneth shouts out and intercepts the blade in the nick of time. The blade would not have hit Fiora, rather, Zanza was using it to control the blade of the Bionis. Meyneth's intervention has spared the life of the Mechonis for now, but she will have to continuously keep Zanza at bay until they can figure something out. "Zanza, stop this! These are living people! You cannot do this to them." 

Immediately, Zanza leaps back, giving distance between himself and Meyneth. The size of the Monado's blade shrinks slightly, and Fiora takes this to mean that he is no longer directly controlling the blade of the Bionis. Instead, he readies his blade to first eliminate the two standing before him. "So be it." He voices under his breath.

Faster than Fiora can process, Zanza closes the distance again, the Monado already in position to strike her from the side. Meyneth attempts to dodge, but she too is caught off guard. To their blessing, Reyn jumps between the attack and uses his driver to block the attack. He bashes the Monado backwards, parrying it, resulting in Zanza stumbling. Using the opportunity, Meyneth uses the blunt end of one of Fiora's dual blades to strike him in the stomach.

Zanza coughs out, winded, but recovers from the attack quickly. In the empty circle towards the hilt of the Monado, a symbol appears. A blue aura of ether surrounds Zanza, and in the moment that Fiora blinks, Zanza has vanished from her vision. She does not even have time to look around for him before she feels a sharp part in her side. Eyes wide, she looks down and sees the Monado lodged in her side. It hurts, but it is tolerable; he did not cut deep. For some reason, he held back.

"Fiora!" Reyn uses his shield to shove Shulk over, dislodging the sword from Fiora's side. Reyn winces as his weapon makes contact with his friend, and he whispers an apology. "Sorry, man."

"I'm okay, Reyn." Fiora says, her and Meyneth both sharing her body at equal amounts. "He didn't cut deep. Maybe Shulk's holding him back?" More prepared this time, Meyneth completely blocks the next Monado attack with her left blade and uses the hilt of the right one to once again bash Shulk, this time on the top of the head. Fiora can feel her holding back as much as possible, worried that she might jeopardize Shulk's health if she hits too hard.

"Ya think so? Then maybe we've got a chance. Stay with us, man!" Reyn flanks Zanza, but unlike Meyneth, he is not agile enough to land a hit on Zanza before he dodges out of the way. Zanza seems fairly disinterested in Reyn, focusing most of his attacks on Fiora, but Reyn's support still gives her enough of a break to catch her breath. So, it comes as a surprise when Zanza suddenly halts his assault on Fiora and turns back towards Reyn. Reyn has no time to react as the Monado cuts through the air towards him, instead praying that his driver will be able to shield him from the attack. He closes his eyes shut, expecting a painful impact, but it never comes.

Fiora watches it unfold, as Zanza's blade stops just short of Reyn. His arm trembles under the weight of the Monado, and Zanza's expression turns grim and angered. "QUIT INTERFERING! Know your place, vessel!"

During the moment of hesitation, Meyneth uses all her strength to ram the hilt of both blades into Shulk's arm, forcing him to drop the Monado. He clutches his arm, pained, attempting to reach out for his weapon. However, Meyneth reaches the Monado first. Sheathing Fiora's blades, she picks up the Monado instead, activating it. Pointing the blade of the Monado at Zanza, she speaks. "Enough of this, Zanza! Let the boy go!"

Zanza laughs, amused. "You really think you have defeated me? I have more allies than Dickson, you know. I can return at any point, and I can take my Monado back. Do not think you have won, Meyneth, just because you hold my blade." Zanza looks back down at his hand, now void of a weapon. "I will sleep once more, but do not expect it to be for long this time. Your friend shall forevermore remain my property."

Meyneth keeps the blade pointed at Zanza, but against her will, its ether blade disappears, and the Monado deactivates. At the same time the blade deactivates, Shulk collapses to the floor.

"Shulk!" Reyn says, running up to his friend and holds him up in his arms. A groan escapes Shulk's lips, and his eyes flutter open, observing the worried look on Reyn's face.

"Reyn?" He questions. His gaze trails over to Fiora, who is standing over him with a hand clenched over her chest. "Fiora? What happened? Where's Egil?"

"Oh, Shulk!" Fiora drops to her knees and pulls Shulk into a tight embrace. Reyn does the same, instead holding both Shulk and Fiora in a hug. By the sounds of silence in the room, and a sigh from Dunban in the distance, Fiora assumes that they must have managed to subdue Dickson. Too focused on her fight with Zanza, she had not paid much attention to the other battle in the room, but her other friends appear uninjured. "How are you feeling?"

"Ugh..." Shulk puts a hand up to his head. "Like I just got shot and then bashed in the head."

Fiora and laugh in relief, hugging their friend tightly again before letting him go. He sits up, and the bleeding from his wound has mostly stopped, though he will still need to be treated by Linada. He tries to stand, though Reyn insists on helping him to his feet, worried that he might hurt himself if he tries to stand on his own. Fiora glances back at Dunban, who is tying Dickson's hands behind his back. Sharla picks up his ether rifle for safekeeping and smiling as Riki gives a small victory dance.

Turning her head to the other side of the room, she sees Vanea help Egil out of the golden mechon. Fortunately, he seems to be uninjured, and the two siblings share an embrace. It takes them a few minutes, but they make their way back up to the platform that the rest are on. They all group together, except Shulk, Fiora, and Reyn who are still trying to help Shulk stand up. Everyone appears exhausted as the adrenaline of the battle begins to wear down.

"We should hurry back to Junks. I don't want to take any chances with Zanza." Dunban advises. He gives a sympathetic smile to Shulk. "Will you be okay to walk back? We can go slowly."

"Y-yeah. I think I'll be okay." 

"Hey, man. Just lean on me for support." Reyn says, guiding Shulk's arm around his waist to hold himself up. Shulk nods gratefully.

Given that Dickson is unconscious, Egil and Vanea offer to help carry him back to Junks, since they are both a lot stronger than the Homs. The group exits the Mechonis Core and walks back up various ventilation ducts, connecting pipes, and other mechanical pathways that lead from the core of the Mechonis. It is when they reach near Junks that it happens once again, seemingly spontaneous. Reyn and Shulk walk towards the back of the group, having the hardest time keeping up, given that Shulk is still injured.

A blue static forms around Shulk, subtly at first, but it escalates to a violent stream of electric energy. Like earlier, he collapses to the floor, and grabs at his chest in pain, screaming out. A chill spreads throughout Fiora's entire body, as Shulk's screams grow louder and louder, as he convulses on the floor, desperately trying to ease the pain. She opens her mouth, a hand gripped over it, and her brows furrow in horror. She and Dunban rush to his side.

"No! Not again!" Dunban leans down, and Reyn holds Shulk in his arms like he had earlier. At first, they expect it to pass in just a few seconds, like it had the first time. However, thirty seconds pass, and there is no sign of it letting up. Shulk's screams continue to echo throughout the mechanical hall.

"STOP IT!" Reyn shouts. Fiora is confused at first, thinking he is shouting at Shulk, but then realizes that he is referring to Zanza. "Let him go already! He hasn't done anything to you! Please..."

Fiora joins in with Reyn's pleading, and after about another thirty seconds, the electricity begins to die down, and Shulk's screams muffle into a strong panting. His eyes are dropped half closed in exhaustion as he looks up towards Reyn and Fiora. Whispering to them in a hoarse, broken voice, he apologizes. "I'm sorry."

With a sigh of relief, Reyn scolds him. "What are ya apologizin' for? Givin' us a heart attack, maybe, but we're just glad you're okay."

"We're almost back to Junks. Do you think you can make it the rest of the way back, Shulk? We can have Linada look over you when we get there." Dunban asks, gripping Shulk on the shoulder. Shulk closes his eyes and tilts his head down. A full minute passes before Dunban has to pester him again for a response. "Shulk, are you okay?"

Shulk opens his eyes back up, and to Fiora's shock, tears are building up, threatening to leak out. He finally builds up the strength to reply to Dunban. "I... I can't move. My arms and legs won't respond." The tears that were building up in his eyes then fall down his face, and he cannot help from sobbing out. "Am I going to be like this forever?"

"No, Shulk! We'll make sure you get better!" Fiora proclaims as confidently as she can, hoping that her skepticism does not extend to her voice. In reality, having seen her brother cope with the aftermath of the Monado, she is not sure if Shulk will recover much, if at all. But he is the heir of the Monado, so surely he can sustain its attacks better than Dunban can. She must not lose hope, especially if it is for Shulk.

Reyn wipes a tear from his own eyes, before backing Fiora up. "Yeah, man. We've got some of the best doctors around, and now we've even got several Machina who can help ya out too. You'll be just fine." Reyn lifts Shulk up in his arms, determined to get him back to Junks. "Come on. Let's get ya back."

Clenching her fists tightly, Fiora swears under her breath. Dunban pats her on the back, and when Reyn and Shulk are out of range, she weeps into his chest. Turns out, she can still cry.


	2. Telethia Invasion

Shulk opens his eyes and blinks. A groan escapes his lips as a nasty headache washes over him. Shifting his head to look around, he recognizes the steady hums of machinery within the medical bay, the room unlit and not particularly visible. 

Despite his aching muscles, he sits up as he recalls the events from the Mechonis Core. They destroyed the Apocrypha Generator, defeated Egil, and then... Shulk pauses in his own thoughts. It is like there is a gap in his own memory, as he tries to recall the series of events that took placed once they made peace with Egil. But if he cannot remember what happened, then maybe he can ask Fiora or Reyn. The next thing that he can remember after that is hazy at best. He remembers being supported by Reyn while walking through the Mechonis, nearly making it back to Junks before he collapsed again and was attacked by the Monado.

The generator was destroyed, so Shulk rules out Melia's hypothesis that the Monado was merely putting strain on him. It probably did not help the issue; however, both times the Monado did attack him, Shulk was hesitant. It is not just that he doubts his own strength, but it almost seems... Not right to wield the blade for some reason. As though the sword is malicious, which if Egil said was correct -- about the Monado and Zanza being one in the same -- then it might very well be.

Shulk shakes his head, trying to pull himself back into the moment. He will have time to think things over later, once he has more information. For now, he needs to confirm whether or not the worst-case scenario has come true or not. Shulk draws in an agonizingly slow, deep breath and sighs out, breath trembling. Looking down to his arms, dim in the lack of lighting, he tries to move them.

Slowly but surely, his arms respond, though like his breath, they tremble with the movement. Not easy to control, but he can move them. He then tries to close his fingers into a fist, though this proves much more difficult. His fingers curl slightly at first, but he is unable to force them closed any further. So far his arms are already in a much better state than Dunban's arm had been when he lost control of the Monado during the Battle of Sword Valley. Feeling some of the weight lifted from him, he smiles weakly. It might not be immediate, but he should be able to recover use of his arms.

Next he decides to test his legs, feeling more confident than before. It takes a moment at a lot of focus, but he is able to at least move his legs slightly. They are not fully paralyzed, but it feels much more labored to move them than his arms. He decides that it is not worth trying to test and see whether or not he can move his feet and toes at the moment, too scared that he will not like the answer. The smile fades from his face as he realizes that he might be in a similar situation to Dunban after all, if not worse than.

It might not even be possible for him to ever walk again. He will be unable to fight, to protect his friends, or even rummage for scrap in the junkyard. He might still be able to work in the lab and do some of the things that he loves, but the evening strolls around the colony, the picnics at Outlook Park, and the play dates with his friends at the beach are all but distant memories now. Memories that he will never be able to revisit again.

Will he be dependent on other people all of his life? Will they have to fetch for scrap and go out for supplies for him? Will those people look at him with pity, as though he is nothing more than a child? Some of his older acquaintances will probably visit him at first, but Shulk imagines that they will stop visiting in time. 

Shulk wants to curl up into a ball, but he has trouble moving his legs much at all. He feels his breath catch in his throat and wipes an arm across his face as his eyes begin to water, trying to keep them from falling. His thoughts do not stop racing, and after awhile, he cannot wipe away his tears faster than they fall. Getting lost in the rush of thoughts, his mind trails off, and he does not notice the hand on his shoulder. It is only when he hears his name that he snaps out of it.

"Shulk?" Reyn's comforting voice asks with clear worry. Shulk must have not noticed Reyn sleeping in the room, but there is the faint outline of a chair next to the bed with a large blanket fallen sprawled out across the floor. "What's wrong, man?"

"I--" Shulk's voice catches in his throat as he tries to reply. He tries to keep calm and collected, but somehow the opposite happens. His weeping grows louder, and his entire body is shaking at this point, save for his legs. 

"Hey, take your time. It's been a rough day, so ya probably just need a moment to let it all out."

Shulk nods, feeling a little better, grounded by the firm hand still on his shoulder. "Y-yeah. T-t-thanks, Reyn."

"Yeah, buddy. An' in case yer wondering, I already talked to Linada. Hopefully it'll make ya feel a bit better, because the news is lookin' good for you." Reyn says, and Shulk raises his head eagerly.

"W-what did s-s-she say?" Shulk asks, looking up at Reyn, whose face he can make out very slightly.

"She said that ya should make a full recovery. Might take a few weeks for your legs, though, but you should not lose use of 'em."

Shulk gasps, those being the words he would last expect to hear. He feels like a massive weight immediately lifts with Reyn's news, but the sudden onrush of emotions does not subside. Instead, something else plagues his thoughts. Even though he knows he will probably be able to fight again relatively soon, Dickson had... "Dickson."

Reyn's grip tightens on his friend's shoulder before whispering in a breathy voice. "I'm sorry, man. We can tell you about it later, if ya want. But I don't want any of that on your mind, right now. You could use the rest."

"I-I don't t-think I can sleep n-n-now anyways." Shulk sobs. He feels Reyn's hand leave his shoulder for a moment, and in that moment, a wave of disappointment washes over him, wishing his friend would stay there with him. A few seconds later, the blonde shuts his unadjusted eyes quickly as a light floods the room. He blinks a few times, until he feels Reyn's hand return to his shoulder.

"Wanna stay up with me, then? I'm not that tired either." Reyn asks, a reassuring grin spreading across his face. Reyn probably feels really out of it too after everything that happened today, but Shulk knows that Reyn puts on that facade for his friend's sake. There is no one better for cheering another person up than Reyn... Except maybe Riki. Maybe. 

"S-sure." Shulk returns the smile, tears still pooling in his red puffy eyes. To the best of his ability with his arms in their current state, he wipes a hand across his eyes and dries them. Feeling a slight pain rising in his stomach, Shulk decides to change the discussion to something more tolerable. "I'm s-starving."

For a split second, Reyn is caught off guard by Shulk's response, but he bursts into a hearty laughter, and he slams his hand against the blonde's back, who is now sitting up slightly. Shulk feels his cheeks grow warm and flush, and he furrows his brow in annoyance. Reyn notices and wipes a hand under his eye, trying to calm himself. "Sorry, man. I thought you were going to sit here all night overthinkin' everything, so I'm glad food was finally on your mind for once."

"What time is it?"

"Just past midnight. Fiora and most of the others have gone ta sleep, but I think Melia and Dunban are still up. Wanna go see 'em?"

"Mhm." Shulk nods, trying to still his voice.

"Alright, mate. I'll go find them and get ya somethin' to eat. Be back in a few minutes." Reyn leaves Shulk's side and disappears down the stairs to the lower part of Junks. Shulk lies back down, with a newfound sleepiness and dozes off. He is not sure how long he rests before he is woken up by Reyn shaking his shoulder. Opening his eyes, the smell of dinner wafts through the air. Melia and Dunban are also there.

"Are you awake?" Melia asks and turns to set up a portable chair alongside Reyn and Dunban. She sits, legs crossed, as Shulk rubs the sleep out of his eyes.

"Yeah... Hey, guys. Is everyone okay?" He looks between the three, whose moods seem more or less normal, though Dunban appears to be keeping a close eye on him. 

Melia closes her eyes and sighs. "Yes, everyone is fine. It has just been a long day, so the others are retired for the night. We were expecting you to sleep through the night, though you appear to be doing better than expected. How are you feeling?"

"Not great, but I'm feeling better with you guys here. Thanks for coming by." Reyn sits down next to Shulk and places the food on a small side table that he brought in with him.

"You think ya can eat on your own?" Reyn questions.

"He should probably try. It's best that he exercises in order to restore movement." Dunban says. "I'll probably never gain complete control over my right arm again, but proper physical therapy allowed me to at least make some use of my arm again. It'll help Shulk if he starts now."

"Will he be okay?" Melia's face turns grim with worry, and she fiddles with her hair, twirling it around her fingers. "I mean, will he regain use of his limbs?"

"He'll be fine. Linada already confirmed the results of his checkup, and he should be back to normal in just a few weeks -- sooner if he is dedicated enough." Dunban replies, and Melia's sour expression morphs into one of relief.

"I am glad." She says. The room falls into an awkward silence, and no one seems to want to bring up the topic that has been bothering them this whole time. Melia decides to cut to the chase, otherwise it might not be brought up at all. "Shulk, I want you to know, you are not responsible for what happened in the Mechonis' Core."

Shulk fixes his eyes on hers in confusion, as if asking for some sort of elaboration. "You mean about what Dickson did? Where is he, by the way?"

"Dickson is under arrest and currently secured on the Mechonis' Arm with the Machina." Dunban clarifies, answering Shulk's latter question. He raising an eyebrow questioningly. "But do you not recall what happened after Dickson shot you?"  
In the back of his mind, Shulk can vaguely remember their retreat from the Mechonis, and the events that occurred directly before arriving at Junks, but the whole situation almost feels timeless. He cannot estimate how much time passed between those two events, so he shakes his head, assuming that there must have been a gap of time in which he cannot recall. 

"Thought so." Reyn adds. He hands Shulk a spoon, and Shulk tries to force his grip closed onto it. It takes a lot of effort, but he is able to hold it at least decently steady, allowing him to eat while the conversation continues on.

Melia taps her foot on the ground in anticipation for the conversation. Shulk is equally anxious, but the food helps ease some of the stress. Dunban clears his throat and speaks. "You tried to attack us. According to Dickson, you were possessed."

"...What?" Shulk mumbles, not sure how to process the information. He had spoken to Egil about the Monado, and Egil mentioned that it had done the same to one of his friends, Arglas. Had the same happened to Shulk too? "Was it the Monado?"

"We think so, but it might be more complicated than that. Also according to Dickson, it might have something to do with the expedition where he found you and the Monado at--"

"Hey, Dunban. I don't think we should be throwing all of this on 'im right now. The man's barely woken up." Reyn protests, seemingly uncomfortable with Dunban's explanation, as though he is prying into a territory that better be left untouched. Dunban seems to take a moment to ponder Reyn's concerns, and visually at least, he seems to agree with them.

"The details are still not known, but we believe that expedition may have simply established some sort of connection between you and the Monado." Dunban decides to leave it there. Reyn seems content with the explanation stopping short there.

"We are not sure if it could happen again. That is what we mostly wanted to talk to you about." Melia says. "If you cannot remember what happened, however, then it might be more difficult to gather information. It seems we are at an impasse."

"We should talk to Egil tomorrow. He's had experience with this before, and he apparently knows Dickson." Dunban speaks but stops as he sees Shulk flinch at the name. The blonde feels conflicted about the man who raised him, but he decides to shove it out of his thoughts and focus on his company. "In the meantime, take it easy. It won't do you any good to fret over it. Maybe after we talk to Egil, you and Reyn can go get some fresh air."

"Okay." With that, the group puts aside the topic for further discussion with Egil, and they talk until they all return to bed. 

It is nearly two in the morning before Shulk falls asleep for the night. Not abnormal for him, since he would frequently stay up much later in the lab back in Colony 9, but it is almost noon before Shulk is startled awake by the Colony 6 alarms. 

Reyn starts next to him, having stayed with his friend overnight, and he spins around in a frenzy, throwing his blanket off and standing up from the chair he was in. "What on Bionis is goin' on?!"

Reyn rushes towards the stairwell and nearly crashes into Melia. Reyn is about to ask for an explanation, but Melia beats him to it. "It's Telethia! They are headed for the Colony! The defense force is not completely back yet from the attack on the Mechonis, so we are outnumbered. There is an emergency meeting down in the cockpit, so please join us quickly."

"What 'bout Shulk? I can't just leave him on his own." 

"You're strong enough to carry him. Let us go. Now." Melia demands.

Reyn hesitates, but Melia coughs impatiently. "Sorry, mate." He picks up Shulk, though Shulk tries to break free, uncomfortable with the situation. However, he gives up, when Melia's glare lands on him instead. In this new position, a burning sensation begins making its way up his injured legs, and he winces from the pain, but it is at least bearable.

They leave the medical bay and head downstairs into the cockpit, where everyone and Juju are gathered. The meeting has already started, and Sharla is trying to provide suggestions for the emergency. "We're either going to have to evacuate the colony or wait for the reinforcements to arrive. In fact, I think our best solution will be a combination of both. If we evacuate the colonists to the mines, then the current members of the defense force can focus on keeping the Telethia at bay."

"Is it possible to protect the evacuees? It won't be easy to protect them while they are all relocating." Vanea questions, with several of the Machina having joined them. The room is quite crowded with just the Homs inside, but the Machina who are already quite large make it even more packed. "Father, could we defend them using Junks?"

"Hmm, no need to worry here. We'll keep them safe, and she's ready to fly." Miqol says.

"Then in that case, Juju, I need you to go make the announcement immediately. Dunban, go inform the defense force that we need to spare a few soldiers to help with the evacuation. The rest with stay and fight. Once Otharon and Kallian are back with their squads, then we should be able to engage the enemy." Sharla orders. Both Juju and Dunban leave, and Sharla continues to take charge, being the most qualified, as it is her own home. "Miqol, I'll trust the rest of the evacuation to you. Everyone else who is not needed aboard Junks, either evacuate with the others or remain and fight."

"Egil. Vanea. Go on ahead with them. We'll take care of everything up there." Miqol requests of his two children. Neither one objects, and if anything, they both almost seem relieved. Shulk listens to the rest of the emergency meeting, but his heart leaps when he hears his name called out.

"Shulk!" Fiora darts forward, entering into the cockpit as a few more people leave for the evacuation. She embraces him tighly, nearly suffocating him, all while metallic plating from her automaton body digs into his sides. It is an awkward hug as is, but given that Reyn is still holding him, it just makes the situation even stranger.

"Fiora!" Shulk feels his cheeks grow warm, aware of the attention in the room turning to the two Homs. He holds his breath, waiting for anyone to continue on with the meeting. Fortunately, Sharla does so.

"I'm glad to see you awake, Shulk. I don't want to keep you in Junks. It wouldn't be safe to keep you in here while it is preparing for combat. I am not comfortable sending you out with the evacuees either, so we'll keep you with us. Reyn, make sure to keep him safe. We'll have your back."

"On it." Reyn nods.

"Shulk, are you okay?! How are your arms and legs? Are you an any pain?" Fiora frets while Sharla and Reyn converse. She places a hand on the side of the blonde's face and puts on a comforting smile.

"I'm fine, Fiora. We should worry about the Telethia first. I just wish I could help you all fight, but I'll just be a burden." Shulk reciprocates Fiora's smile, but her brows furrow in irritation.

"Don't say that! You're not a burden, Shulk, and you never will be. You've done so much to protect us, to protect me, so let us help you for once." Her hand moves down to grasp his own. "Besides, it's just some Telethia. Once the defense force is back, we'll take them down in no time."

"How long until the defense force does get back?" Shulk asks, to no one in particular. Fiora is right. Even if he cannot fight, then perhaps he can at least help with the planning for the mission. The direction the mission will take will depend on the time of their arrival.

"Sometime this evening. It'll be several hours." Sharla answers. "But it's not going to be easy for the defense force to hold off for that long. We can probably evacuate the colonists successfully, but we cannot guarantee that the combatants will last for long. Colony 6 does not have any anti-air batteries like Colony 9 does. The barriers are not going to do much against any aerial attacks either, but it may limit the mobility of some of the Telethia along the ground."

"We should probably hold within the colony, in that case. Even if we do get overwhelmed by the aerial assault, we can try to hold off until the evacuation is complete at least. After which, Junks should be able to return and assist with the battle." Shulk responds, moving his hand up to his chin, though unable to grip it like he normally would when thinking. "We should also arm the defense force with any ether rifles that remain in the armory. It'll be better if we can prevent the Telethia from getting too close to begin with, so I think range will be our best option."

"Got it." Sharla immediately directs several of the remaining defense force members in the room to gather the remaining weaponry and to get into formation. Everyone else moves out as well, and Sharla speaks with Shulk on their way out of Junks. "I want you to stay with the combat medics for now, and Reyn, please stay with him. I'll be there for some of the time, but I'm going to be in and out of the fight as I try to help the wounded. The others will be fighting the Telethia. And don't worry. I'm not going to let any of them get hurt."

"Thanks, Sharla." Shulk says, as they head over to the area dedicated to treating any wounded during the battle. Since the attack is an ambush, not much has been set up, so it is effectively just a large building with people shuffling in and out, bringing supplies to where is needed. The Telethia across the horizon are quite close at this point, and it will be only a matter of minutes before they arrive. Reyn sets Shulk down on a makeshift bed, which really just is a pile of blankets and sits down next to him, weapon in hand. 

Placing a hand to his chest, Shulk notices an oddly hot, almost burning sensation arise, and a dull headache spreads across the back of his head. It happens almost as soon as he is put down, so he assumes that it is just from being relocated so suddenly in his current state.

"You okay, mate?" Reyn asks, noticing Shulk's discomfort. Shulk would respond, but a wave of fatigue washes over him, until he quickly passes out amidst the chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I have not really been in the mood to write lately at all, and I am in the middle of moving, which does not help anything. Lately I have noticed that there have been a lot less Xenoblade fanfictions, which made me pretty sad, so I decided to go ahead and take the time to write this chapter out, but it took a lot longer than it normally does. It did not help that I was having trouble coming up for what I wanted to do with this chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> I am not usually the type of guy to write serious stories, but given that I really want to broaden my horizons, I figured that I ought to go ahead and practice with them. So far, I am still trying to improve upon cohesion and transition between dialogue and sentences, which is where I think some of my writing has been lacking. Given I have more of a background in writing formal essays, rather than fiction, I still have a ways to go in that department. Hopefully people still like this regardless, but feel free to leave any suggestions down in the comments.


End file.
